Roman Anthony out for playoffs with another right hand injury
Red Sox Designated Hitter Roman Anthony Out of Postseason After New Hand Injury
Boston, Mass. — The Boston Red Sox will not have rookie outfielder and leadoff hitter Roman Anthony in the remainder of the postseason after a new injury to his right hand was revealed in the wake of the opening game of the American League Wild‑Card Series against the New York Yankees.
Anthony, 22, was the Red Sox’s designated hitter in their 9‑0 loss at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. He struck out in both of his at‑bats against pitcher Cam Schlittler and was replaced by a pinch hitter with the team trailing by two runs in the sixth inning. After the game, the 22‑year‑old was taken to the team’s car and flown back to Boston, arriving at the Red Sox facility around 3:00 a.m. The next morning he underwent magnetic‑resonance imaging, which revealed damage to muscles in his wrist that had not been present before.
“It’s new damage to some muscles in his wrist that weren’t there before,” manager Chad Tracy said. “The hand was never really fully 100% after we got back, and I just took a few swings here recently where that wasn’t the case.”
Anthony had been sidelined from early May to late August because of a right‑hand strain that had been diagnosed earlier in the season. The injury had kept him out for 101 games, and he had only returned to play in late August after a lengthy rehab process. When the new injury was discovered, the Red Sox immediately placed him on the postseason roster as an injury replacement and called up infielder Curtis Mead, who had been acquired from the Washington Nationals in late July for pitcher Connelly Early.
“Once we saw it today, it was more so about like, all right, this is what it is. You can’t go,” Tracy said. “It’s not in the team’s best interest for you to play tonight. So get back there. Root your guys on and be a good teammate.”
Anthony, who made his major‑league debut last year and has been regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects, said he was “super alarmed” by how much the new injury felt. “It got to a point where it was tough to grip a bat. I knew then and there that this was a little bit more similar to the one earlier in the year,” he told reporters in the tunnel outside the clubhouse. “That’s why we decided to go get imaging.”
He added that he was uncertain about the long‑term nature of the injury. “I’ve been experiencing some things with the swings and the check‑swings over the past six weeks,” he said. “I don’t necessarily know the answer to that. But once we see it today, it’s about what it is.”
The Red Sox have confirmed that Anthony was diagnosed with a right‑hand strain, and Major League Baseball has approved a roster substitution for him. According to league rules, the player is ineligible to return until the American League Championship Series, should the Red Sox advance that far.
In his brief 55‑game stint this season, Anthony batted .245 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a .735 OPS. His absence will be felt both at the top of the lineup and as a defensive contributor.
“Hopefully he’s going to be healthy for next year,” said outfielder Wilyer Abreu. “It’s a big loss for us, but we still have to play the game and try to win the game today.”
The Red Sox’s lineup for Game 2 had Jahmai Jones set to lead off as the designated hitter, followed by catcher Adley Rutschman, first baseman Willson Contreras, right fielder Wilyer Abreu, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, third baseman Caleb Durbin, second baseman Nick Sogard, shortstop Trevor Story and left fielder Nate Eaton. Sonny Gray was slated to start the night for Boston, with New York’s left‑hander Max Fried on the mound.
Curtis Mead, who had been injured in his first game with the Red Sox in late July and placed on the injured list after breaking his left wrist, was on the bench for Game 2. He has not appeared in the majors since then.
The Red Sox will now rely on the rest of their roster to keep their Wild‑Card hopes alive, while Anthony will head back to Boston’s medical staff to recover and prepare for the next season.
